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A bank run has started in Russia as citizens rush to withdraw cash amid escalating sanctions. The Russian ruble also nosedived to a record low, plunging more than 30%. “There are about 70 people in line. Eyewitnesses say the money in the ATM runs out within 40 minutes.” Russians Rush to Withdraw Cash as Sanctions Intensify The Russian ruble nosedived 30% to a record low against the U.S. dollar Monday morning, falling as far as 119.50 per dollar from Friday’s close as offshore trading started in the morning during Asia hours. Russia’s biggest lender, Sberbank, which has a listing on the London Stock Exchange, also plunged 75% Monday. The plunge followed the European Commission announcing Saturday that Western allies will impose restrictive measures on the Russian central bank’s international reserves worth $630 billion. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: We will paralyze the assets of Russia’s central bank. This will freeze its transactions. And it will make...

On Monday, terra (LUNA) rose for its 8th session in nine days, as its value increased by close to 60% over the last week. Anchor (ANC), on the other hand, was lower after climbing by almost 50% in the same period. Biggest Gainer Terra (LUNA) has been one of the standout performers in cryptocurrency markets in recent weeks, despite increased market volatility. Monday’s rally in LUNA/USD saw prices climb to their highest level in over six weeks, hitting the long-term resistance point of $84.70 in the process. This surge comes as the 14-day RSI also hit a hurdle, climbing to its resistance level of 71, which hasn’t been broken since late December. As of writing this, LUNA rose to an intraday high of $84.84, which is less than 24-hours after trading at a low of $70.57. Despite this move, two factors now potentially stand in the way of any further short-term gains, with price strength currently overbought, and the current resistance level. Should these both be overcome, traders ma...

The head of a leading South Korean cryptocurrency exchange has recently promised that its non-fungible tokens featuring the world-famous K-pop band BTS will be minted by “low carbon, eco-friendly” technology after receiving backlash from environmentally conscious young fans about the energy use of NFTs. Wait a minute, environmentally conscious people. NFTs and the metaverse are not environmentally unfriendly technologies. To the contrary, they can save the planet and bring humankind a much greener future. The Crypto Mining Required for Minting Supports the Development of Green Energy South Korea is not only among the leaders of the global cryptocurrency and blockchain race — the fans of South Korea’s most successful, world-famous K-pop band BTS are also very educated on the subject. When Hybe, the entertainment company that manages BTS, announced that they would issue BTS-themed NFTs that will play music, the reaction of the fans was not “what is an NFT,” but rather “NFTs are not e...

The vice prime minister of Ukraine has asked all major cryptocurrency exchanges to freeze accounts of all Russian users. However, some crypto exchanges have already denied the request. Binance confirmed it is “not going to unilaterally freeze millions of innocent users’ accounts” while Kraken says it is “not really a viable business option for us.” Ukraine Wants Accounts of All Russian Crypto Users Frozen Mykhailo Fedorov, vice prime minister of Ukraine, tweeted Sunday asking all major cryptocurrency exchanges to block addresses of Russian users. “It’s crucial to freeze not only addresses linked to Russian and Belarusian politicians but also to sabotage ordinary users,” he tweeted. His tweet has been widely criticized in the crypto community. One person said the request “Totally violates the foundations and very basis of cryptocurrency.” Another pointed out: “A lot of people in Russia donate money to Ukraine, condemn the war, and crypto is one of few safe spaces for them to opera...

Bitcoin and ethereum prices rebounded on Monday, after declining throughout the weekend. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine heightened, crypto traders appeared to take a risk-off approach this weekend, however some bulls seemed to return to start the week. Bitcoin Bitcoin ended two consecutive sessions of decline to start the week, as the world’s largest cryptocurrency seemed to have found its price floor. BTC /USD hit an intraday low of $37,268.98 earlier in today’s session, with prices now climbing towards resistance above $40,000. This rebound comes after prices found support at $37,000 on Sunday, which was the lowest level BTC had hit since Friday. Looking at the chart, Monday’s move comes just as the 14-day RSI has marginally broken past its own ceiling at 46, and is currently tracking at 47.84. In addition to this, the momentum of the 10-day moving average (red) is now moving in a sideways path, which could set the floor for a potential upward change in direction. With B...

Amid the conflict in Ukraine with Russia, bitcoin trade volumes tied to Russian ruble pairs have surged in recent days. Metrics recorded by the crypto analytics provider Kaiko indicate that ruble (RUB)-denominated bitcoin volume reached close to 1.5 billion rubles four days ago, on February 24. Data also shows that bitcoin-ruble pairs saw a significant premium on February 28, jumping 16% higher than the global average. Russian Demand for Bitcoin Surges Causing BTC-RUB Premiums Statistics show that there’s been a lot of demand for bitcoin ( BTC ) stemming from Russia during the last 96 hours. It started almost immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine’s borders and while the warfare between the two countries escalated. Data from the crypto analytics provider Kaiko shared with the crypto-journalist Omkar Godbole shows that ruble-denominated BTC trade volume has spiked a great deal. Kaiko’s data showed that ruble-denominated BTC volume tapped a nine-month high reaching nearly 1.5 bi...

PRESS RELEASE. February 2022: Leading Crypto service comparison site Cryptowisser, announces its Crypto Carbon Footprint list . The list ranks how sustainable the top 100 cryptocurrencies are and is based on the research of a Swedish team of sustainability experts. The list ranks each coin of how a typical transaction affects the environment through its carbon footprint. The list uses a color scheme to display different levels of energy efficiency and carbon footprint, with dark green being the cleanest by carbon neutral or negative, and medium green being equivalent to a VISA transaction. “We are excited to release the world’s first comprehensive ranking of carbon footprints of Cryptos and we hope to give more clarity in the market regarding how green different cryptos are. Based on our research, we can also give a positive outlook for the sustainability of Crypto” Richard Ramberg, CEO of Dgtl Assets Group AB How Does Crypto Have a Carbon Footprint? The carbon footprint of crypt...

Hack VC, a crypto investment firm, has launched a new $200 million crypto-based seed fund. The venture capital company, which is behind the hack.summit() event, one of the biggest blockchain programming events in the world, aims to invest in early stage Web3-based teams. The idea behind this fund is to accompany these teams each step of the way, instead of just providing funding as with other, similar proposals. Hack VC Launches $200 Million Fund Backed by Sequoia Capital and Fidelity Hack VC, a crypto-led venture capital group behind the hack.summit() blockchain programming event, announced it is launching a new $200 million crypto seed fund, that aims to invest in early-stage cryptocurrency and Web3 teams. The funds come from several VC companies in the field and include investments from Sequoia Capital , Fidelity, A16z’s Marc Andreessen, and Digital Currency Group, among others. The fund aims to implement a different approach when it comes to incubating these early-stage ventu...

Ivory Coast or Côte d’Ivoire’s Tietto Minerals recently said it had drilled and extracted as much as 503.85 grams per tonne from 83 metres at its Abujar Gludehi deposit. The drilling result moves the miner another step towards production on what may become West Africa’s biggest new gold mines, a report has suggested. The Abujar Deposit Tietto Minerals, the Ivory Coast-based gold miner, has reportedly drilled 503.85 grams per tonne (g/t) from 83 metres at its flagship Abujar-Gludehi deposit. On top of this very high grade, the miner’s other better results include a 10-metre hit which had 51.75 g/t. An even richer 3-metre section had about 171 g/t from the same depth. According to a report by The West, the Abujar-Gludehi deposit is, in fact, part of a larger Abujar gold project which is comprised of three “contiguous tenements” that have a total land area of 1,114 square kilometres. Similar to the Gludehi deposit, the report noted that the miner’s other prospects had delivered note...

Ukraine is now trying to expose cryptocurrency wallets used by politicians in Moscow amid warnings that Russia may employ digital coins to circumvent sanctions. The initiative comes as western allies agree to expel some Russian banks from SWIFT, the global interbank payments system. Government of Ukraine Seeks Info on Crypto Assets of Russian and Belarusian Officials Authorities in Kyiv have issued a call on social media for information about crypto wallets controlled by politicians in Russia and Belarus. On Saturday, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Twitter that the country’s crypto community will reward those who provide details leading to their identification. Ukrainian crypto community is ready to provide a generous reward for any information about crypto-wallets of Russian and Belarusian politicians and their surroundings. War crimes must be pursued and punished! To share info please contact in Telegram: https://t.co/XHidwUQ8bE . — Mykhailo Fedo...

PRESS RELEASE. NFTs have taken the crypto community by storm. As market participants realized the number of applications for ‘Non-fungible tokens’ (used to certify the authenticity of digital assets), many immediately saw $$$ signs. Nevertheless, although the talk about NFTs often only revolves around certifying artwork, there is another field that has natural synergies with NFT technology too – metaverses, i.e., the next generation of gaming. On top of this trend is MetaShooter , the first decentralized blockchain-based hunting metaverse that joins millions of gaming enthusiasts in a community to share a realistic (VR compatible) hunting experience. Not only are modern-day hunters invited to compete in tournaments with stunning visuals, but they are also rewarded with NFTs of monetary value by hunting trophies and triumphing against their fellow hunters. MetaShooter modernizes the hunting experience, developing new ways old hobbyists and new gamers alike can interact within th...

Rakuten Group, the Japanese electronic commerce and online retail company based in Tokyo has announced the launch of a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace called Rakuten NFT. The announcement notes that new features will be added in the future, and a peer-to-peer service for minting and selling NFT content is planned to launch in 2023. Rakuten Launches Non-Fungible Token Marketplace During the last few years, the Japanese online retail giant Rakuten has been dipping its feet into the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain solutions. In the summer of 2019, Rakuten launched a cryptocurrency exchange and in the spring of 2021, Rakuten allowed customers to load crypto into Rakuten Pay accounts. Now the company is getting into the NFT game, as Rakuten announced the launch of a new platform called Rakuten NFT . “Rakuten NFT is a service that provides a marketplace for users to purchase NFTs, as well as peer-to-peer buying and selling of NFTs, in a range of areas such as sports and ...

It’s getting cheaper to send ethereum these days as the gas price to push a transaction is more than 80% less expensive than it was to transact with ether 48 days ago on January 10. On that day, Ethereum network fees were around $52 per transaction and today, the average transaction fee is $10.26 per transfer. While on-chain fees are cheaper, layer two (L2) transactions have followed suit dropping significantly during the last seven days. Ethereum Gas Fees Continue to Slide It’s a lot less expensive to transact with the Ethereum (ETH) network on February 27, as average size fees are down to 0.0039 ETH or $10.26 per transfer. The last time Ethereum network fees were this low was six months ago, back in late-August 2021. Currently, with average fees at $10.26 per transfer, it’s 80.26% cheaper than it was transferring ETH on January 10, 2022. At that time over a month ago, the average transaction fee was $52 per transaction. Ethereum fees have been sliding downward ever since ...

The total value locked in decentralized finance (defi) has managed to jump above the $200 billion zone, as crypto markets have rebounded from the market downturn last week. A number of native assets from the $611 billion worth of smart contract protocols have seen double-digit gains with cypherium (CPH), counterparty (XCP), and terra (LUNA) leading the pack. TVL in Defi Jumps Back Above $200 Billion — Cypherium, Counterparty, Terra Rise Crypto markets have recovered after initially dropping after Russia invaded Ukraine three days ago and the rebound has pushed defi value up as well. After falling beneath the $200 billion mark, the total value locked (TVL) in defi has jumped back above the zone to $200.94 billion on February 27. The TVL in defi across all the top blockchains hit a low of $185.9 billion on January 28 and it’s up 10.61% since that day. Curve dominance is 8.68% on Sunday with $17.86 billion total value locked but the defi protocol’s TVL is down 5.61% since last week....

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has announced that the Starlink satellite internet service has been enabled for Ukraine. The move comes in response to a request from the government in Kyiv which is trying to halt a Russian military assault that may disrupt communications, among other threats. Elon Musk Provides Ukrainians With Access to Starlink U.S. billionaire and crypto influencer Elon Musk revealed on social media the activation of Starlink for Ukraine. The satellite internet constellation is operated by Spacex, the aerospace manufacturer and provider of space transportation services founded and managed by Musk. The entrepreneur also tweeted that the company is sending Ukrainians the necessary equipment. Starlink’s low-orbit satellites provide high-speed broadband internet across the globe but access to the network requires the installation of a special antenna and modem. Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov took to Twitter to addres...

The processing power behind the Bitcoin network has dropped 30% since the hashrate’s all-time high (ATH) on February 15, sliding from 249 exahash per second (EH/s) to 169 EH/s. Furthermore, four days from now, the network’s mining difficulty is expected to increase following the 4.78% epoch change on February 17. Bitcoin Hashrate Drops From 249 Exahash per Second to 169 EH/S in 12 Days From January 13 to February 15, Bitcoin’s hashrate was coasting along at record highs for roughly 33 consecutive days. This weekend, on Sunday, February 27, 2022, the hashrate has dropped 30% from the 249 EH/s ATH captured on February 15. At the time of writing, Bitcoin’s ( BTC ) network hashrate is around 168.14 EH/s or 168,144,793,932,750,200,000 hashes per second (H/s). Meanwhile, bitcoin’s price has been lower than usual but 30-day statistics show the price per BTC is up 4.4%. Although, bitcoin mining monthly revenue and 7DMA revenue mining stats are down according to onchain metrics. The d...

Ukraine has raised more than $17 million in cryptocurrency donations since Russia began its invasion. Over $10 million were donated directly to the crypto wallets posted by the Ukrainian government about 24 hours after the government solicited donations in bitcoin, ether, and tether. Crypto Community Responds to Ukrainian Government’s Plea for Cryptocurrency Donations The Ukrainian government began soliciting cryptocurrency donations Saturday morning. The official Twitter account for Ukraine tweeted : “Stand with the people of Ukraine. Now accepting cryptocurrency donations. Bitcoin, ethereum, and USDT .” The tweet also includes a BTC address and an address for ETH and USDT donations. Mykhailo Fedorov, vice prime minister of Ukraine, also tweeted a similar message. Following the Ukrainian government’s solicitation of crypto donations, blockchain data analytics firm Elliptic said Sunday: The Ukrainian government and NGOs providing support to the military have raised $17.2 milli...

Authorities in Russia may begin to seize funds of foreign nationals and companies that are in the country, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has indicated. His warning comes as the West continues to expend penalties imposed on Moscow over its military invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Medvedev Warns Persons and Entities From ‘Hostile’ Nations May Lose Their Assets in Russia The nationalization of Russian-based assets belonging to foreigners and businesses registered in “hostile jurisdictions” is a possible response to the potential seizure of funds of Russian citizens and companies abroad. That’s according to a recent statement by the Deputy Chair of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev on social media. Following President Putin’s decision to launch a military operation in Ukraine , the United States and European allies introduced a wide range of sanctions on Russia, Russian banks, its political and business elites. On Saturday, Medvedev took to Facebook to comment o...

Private banks in Mexico want to join efforts with the central bank of the country in the creation of a new digital currency. The president of the Mexican Bank Association (ABM) met with the governor of the Bank of Mexico to offer the help of the group of private banks for the creation of a national digital currency in the future. Private Banks Want to Be Involved in Potential CBDC Members of the Mexican Bank Association have stated their intention of helping the central bank of the country in the design and issuance of a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC). The president of the association, Daniel Becker, met with the governor of the Bank of Mexico, Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, to review some important factors related to making banks more accessible for Mexican citizens. About the meeting, Becker stated: If Banxico determines that the banking opinion can help build better elements or a cryptocurrency, count on us and the best banking opinion so that it is something th...

Crypto players are following the development of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia very closely given the possible repercussions on the cryptocurrency market. The announcement of the Russian military invasion also caused bitcoin to plunge by 12% last Thursday. While cryptocurrency was able to rebound immediately the day after, Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor says wars increase bitcoin's attractiveness. An alternative to hedge against inflation After a monumental crash in March 2020, bitcoin had an impressive bull run as the global economy bowed to the coronavirus pandemic. Cryptocurrency has revealed itself to the world as a safe haven, which has accelerated its adoption among institutions and businesses. The latter invested a good part of their cash there in order to protect themselves from the economic inflation which was raging at the time . MicroStrategy is among the pioneers of this movement and has only increased its stock of bitcoins since then. CEO of the company, M...